Homesteading: How to Eradicate Pests Like "Leaf miner" Effectively

**Hello friendly Steemians,,,!!!**

Today I would like to discuss the Leaf miner, a pest which is very harmful to plants. On this occasion I will share some advice on how to handle this deadly pest species and eradicate them completely.

### **EXPLANATION**

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As farmers or workers in the field of agriculture, we are very often taunted by pests that attack and destroy our plants. One of the most popular pests that can be described as the biggest crop-destroying culprits is the Leaf miner, as mentioned above.

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**<center><a href="https://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.id/2009/07/how-to-control-leaf-miner-on-tomato.html?m=1">[Image Source]</a></center>**

In this post, I will explain how one can eradicate the Leaf miner pests so that your crops such as long bean leaves, spinach, cucumber and other young plants can be left to grow healthily and successfully. These plants die as a result of lack of protein and nutrients which the pests greedily absorb by sucking on them.

### **THE SUBJECT**

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#### **1. What is a Leaf miner?**

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Leaf miners are a type of larvae that lives in and feeds on the tissue of plants. They generally suck all of the nutrients out of the chlorophyll and play havoc with the vital process of photosynthesis. Because they live within the layers of plants, it is very difficult to destroy them.

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**<center><a href="https://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.id/2009/07/how-to-control-leaf-miner-on-tomato.html?m=1">[Image Source]</a></center>**

In the world of agriculture, this pest has become a very deadly enemy, farmers are often so overwhelmed by this pest that the battle to fight them off becomes futile. 

#### **2. Cause of Leaf miner in plants**

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This pest comes from the egg fly "Genus Liriomyza" and belongs to the family "Agromyzidae". This fly attacks the leaves of the plant by spawning it’s eggs on to the epidermis of leaves. After that the eggs will hatch and turn into larvae. The larvae then penetrate the leaf tissue and feed off of it, revealing white patches or lines on the leaves surface. 

https://img.esteem.ws/h8fg60am2f.jpg

**<center><a href="http://barmac.com.au/problem/citrus-leaf-minor/">[Image Source]</a></center>**

#### **3. Leaf texture and how to handle pests**

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Before we discuss how to deal with the Leaf miner larvae, it is important to know that the leaf texture is divided into three layers: the top and bottom layers of the leave have a “plastic” type of texture while the centre layer contains the “meat” of the leaf, called chlorophyll. So, when it comes to controlling and getting rid of this pest, spraying the leaves surface will not work, you need to target and poison the chlorophyll. 

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**<center><a href="https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2008/05/24/little-leaf-notcher-weevil-and-citrus-leaf-miner/">[Image Source]</a></center>**

**This can be done by :**

Now that you know how this pest functions, all you have to do is treat it with a poison like Curater, by adding this substance to the plant’s soil or fertilizer. This way the toxins can be absorbed directly by the roots of plants and send it to the foliage. As a result, the larvae will automatically feed on the poisoned chlorophyll will be poisoned and killed correctly.

**Another technique that European farmers do in dealing with Leaf miner pests is :**

>Biocontrol is famous for controlling leaf miner as well as other natural enemies: Diglyphus isaea and Dacnusa sibirica. "The English team Biobest has developed a valuable experience in tomatoes on how to use these two parasitic wasps in a strong combination strategy. As leafminer pressure increases in tomato plants in the Netherlands, France and other Western European countries, more farmers adopt a very controlling strategy effectively, utilizing Biobest's advice and extensive product offerings 

**"says Biobest Product Manager for Macrobials, Yann Jacques :**

>Phil walker General Manager of Biobest UK: "In the UK tomato plant, we have developed several skills using a combination of two complementary parasitic wasps - Dacnusa sibirica and Diglyphus isaea. We were able to develop a strong strategy, leveraging the complementarity between the biological characteristics of these two parasitic wasps. 

**"Yann Jacques explains :**

>Effective early in the season, Dacnusa first manages and slows this pest.To identify when to start introductions, we recommend a yellow Bug-Scan sticky trap to detect adults, plus regular plant checks to look for sting conversation. **<a href="http://www.hortidaily.com/article/27899/European-growers-adopting-highly-effective-control-strategy-against-leafminer">[Source]</a>**

### **CONCLUSION**

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As farmers of the land we face problems and challenges daily, but there are many tricks of the trade which can be learnt to make the process easier and the results more successful. I hope you fond this post informative and useful. 

#### **<center>GOOD LUCK,,,!!!</center>**

### **<center>Thank you for allowing a member of the @blue-pencil team to edit this post for you.</center>**
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**Reference Source :**

**1. <a href="http://www.toxipedia.org/display/ipmopedia/Leafminers">[toxipedia.org]</a>**

**2. <a href="http://www.azzamrumahherbal.com/hidroponik/318-cara-mudah-mengatasi-hama-leaf-miner.html">[azzamrumahherbal.com]</a>**

**3. <a href="http://www.beritatani.com/2017/01/penyebab-hama-penggorok-daun-pada.html?m=1">[bertani.com]</a>**

**4. <a href="https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/leafminer-control/">[planetnatural]</a>**

**5. <a href="http://www.hortidaily.com/article/27899/European-growers-adopting-highly-effective-control-strategy-against-leafminer">[hortidaily]</a>**

**6. <a href="https://www.google.co.id/amp/kliksma.com/2015/03/struktur-daun-lapisan-epidermis-dan-lapisan-palisade.html/amp">[kliksma.com]</a>**

**7. <a href="https://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.id/2009/07/how-to-control-leaf-miner-on-tomato.html?m=1">[blogspot.co.id]</a>**

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